The historic moment when the United Nations was initiated is of particular importance, and this explains almost all the goals and principles of the UN. This happened immediately after the Second World War. At that time, the main goal of the UN was to prevent wars and ensure peace in the international sphere. Then these words were not empty at all.
How the UN Strategy Was Created
The main document of the new international organization was its Charter, which sets out and explains the goals, objectives and main principles of the UN. The document was signed in 1945 after long and serious discussions and adjustments between members of the anti-Hitler coalition. By the way, the author of the name "United Nations" - none other than Franklin Roosevelt - the president of the United States at that time.
All fundamental decisions on the creation of the UN were made in Yalta, at the famous meeting of the heads of three states: USA, USSR and Great Britain. Already by these decisions, the principles of the UN Charter began to be created, in which more than fifty countries took part. There were many disagreements, but in the end they were all overcome.
The UN began to act in accordance with the Charter that entered into force in the autumn of 1945. The main principles of its existence and activity are set forth in the Charter, which consists of a preamble, 19 chapters and 111 articles. Preamble declares
"faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and in the equality of rights of large and small nations"
UN Fundamental Principles
They are few, they are clear and short:
- Equality and sovereignty of states.
- Prohibition of the use of force or threats in the resolution of any international disputes.
- Settlement of international disputes only through negotiations.
- Compliance by States with their obligations under the UN Charter.
- The principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of states.
Another major target principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples is included in the article on goals. The same UN target principles are the support of international peace and the implementation of international cooperation.
In addition to the principles, the document sets out the rules of the organization. It is an important fact that any obligations under the UN Charter have absolute priority over any other international agreements.
UN Goals
The first objective, which is set out in the preamble and article 11, is as follows:
“To save future generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our life inflicted untold grief on humanity”
“Maintain international peace and security ...”
As for the goals in the field of international peace and security, they are formulated on the basis of the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples from the first article of the Charter:
- help in building friendly relations between countries of the world;
- initiate and support international cooperation in various fields of international life.
About international rights
The basic principles of UN international law are set forth again in the Charter. The history of their formation was also not easy. These principles play a special role in the control of the international order today. They can and should be regarded as universally recognized norms of law and ethics, which are crucial in the activities of interstate organizations and associations. Only such a way can make solutions to international problems effective and positive.
Back in the 60s, at the request of several UN member countries, work began on codification and some adjustments and clarifications of the main principles. The UN General Assembly approved and implemented the famous Declaration on the Principles of International Law, which contained exactly seven principles:
- Complete prohibition of the use of force or threat of force.
- Peaceful resolution of any conflicts at the international level.
- Non-interference in matters of internal competences of the state.
- Collaboration of countries with each other.
- Equality and self-determination of peoples.
- Every state has the right to sovereign equality.
- Fulfillment by countries of obligations under the UN Charter.
The story went on, new adjustments were made relatively recently. In 1976, the International Court of Justice decided on an interstate conflict between Canada and the United States of America over the border line in the Gulf of Maine. This decision was the first to indicate that the expressions “principles” and “norms” are essentially the same thing. The same decision stated that the word “principles” means nothing more than legal principles, in other words, these are the standards of international law.
What ultimately does the UN
Proceeding from the basic principles of the UN and being an exemplary universal international association, the United Nations performs a huge number of critical functions in almost all key areas of human activity. Here are just a few of them:
- peacekeeping solutions for conflict resolution;
- standardization of flight safety rules with the compatibility of modern communications;
- international emergency assistance in natural disasters;
- combating the threat of AIDS in the world;
- assistance in the form of soft loans in poor countries.
Not a single charter, nor goals with principles, can be the same for a long time. This also applies to UN standards. They always corresponded to the current moment in the international sphere. Let us wish them to remain as relevant and adequate.